Etymologies

Examples

Far from being a Jewish version of “goodwill toward men” or some trendy contemporary cause, the original story of Chanukah is about something very different: the refusal of a people to bow down to the idols of the popular culture of their day — their resolve to remain separate and faithful to their own traditions.

Even more to the point, Chanukah is the story of a particularly bloody Jewish civil war whose outcome has stood ever since as a warning against the perils of discarding faith and freedom to fit it with more popular ideological movements.

The first night of Chanukah is tomorrow night, and with the Stage & Carnegie Delis fighting each other over who can more effectively gouge stupid tourists, you have to travel a little farther off the beaten path if you want potato pancakes at Midtown Lunch approved prices.